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I F. D. LEWIS AND G. NEMNICH.

STYLUS HOLDER FOR TALKING MACHINES. AP'PLIcATloN FILED JUNE I. 1920.

1,389,886. Patentedsept. 6,1921.

,Frank ZSen/L'sgwumto /Ww/TZ PATENT OFFICE.

ERANK n. LEWIs, 0E WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AND GUsrAvE NEMNICK, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoRs To rATz-IE rREREs PHONOGRAPKCOMPANY, or BROOK- LYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

STYLUS-HOLDERS FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

yinelastic.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. e,v 1921.

Application led .Tune 7, 1920. Serial No. 387,031.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, FRANK D. LEWIS and GUs'rAvE NEMNICH, citizens of the United States of America, and residing at 555 Gregory avenue, 1West Orange, New Jersey, and 447 East 88th street, New York city, New York,respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stylus Holders for Talking Machines, of which the following is a specifica-tion.

".This invention relates to stylus holders for talking machines, and in particular for talking machines of the Actuelle type as disclosed generally in Letters Patent No. 1,271,527, granted July 2, 1918, to Marcus C. Hopkins.

In machines of that type, the usual soundboX and tone arm are replaced by a swingingarin which moves horizontally across the record and which has a stylus holder attached immediately to its front end and carries 'at its rear end a large conical or equivalent diaphragm of vibratile material; the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the vibrations of the stylus and stylus holder set up by the travel of the stylus along the phonic line or sound groove in the record are transmitted by means of a connecting device to the diaphragm, which latter is thereby. lcaused to vibrate pistonfashion and, in consequence', acts to regenerate the original sound waves in their initial tonal strength and quality in free, unconfined atmospheric air.

In the ycommercial Hopkins machine, or Actuelle, the swinging arm is ,constructed and mounted for rotary movement between two distinct playing positions, one for Pathe and other vertical-cut records, and the other for lateral-cut records; and the stylus holder connected to this arm is adapted to move both with the arm and relatively to it, the former movement taking place during the rotation of said arm from one playing position to the other, and the latter movement taking place at the conclusion of the first or rotary movement and serving to bring the stylus into record-engaging position, all as described in Letters Patent No. 1,318,083, granted October 7, 1919, to Fredrick E. Joss. The large conical diaphragm, being rigidly connected to the swinging arm, turns or rotates with said arm during its adjustment.

.Itis the object of the present invention to `eliminate the rotary movement of the swinging arm, and particularly of the diaphragm, both for the purpose of simplifying the former construction and its mode of adjustmenthand in order to avoid the liability of the diaphragm being grasped and turned to effect the desired adjustment, with possible resultant injury to the diaphragm. Accordingly, we have devised a construction in which, instead of the carrier arm and diaphragm being rotatable, those parts are relatively motionless, the sole adjustable or rotatable part being a cap or equivalent part which is connected to the end of the arm and to which the stylus holder is attached. The latter does not immediately vibrate the main transmission device, but, instead, actuates an intermediate or auxiliary device which is connected to vibrate the main device; the connection between the two vibration-transmitting devices preferably consisting of a bell-cranklever, to whose arms the endsI of said devices are attached. The main transmission device,-- that is to say, the device utilized in the commercial Actuelle,is left unchanged, in so far as its construction, arrangement and function are concerned, so that the installation of our invention may be eH'ected readily and with but little alteration or modification of arts.

ther and further objects and advantagesof the invention will present themselves in the course of the following description; but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the structural details of the embodiment illustratedin the accompanying drawing. On the contrary, the invention is susceptible of modifications and changes within its scope, as hereinafter claimed; and parts and features of the invention may be employed to the exclusion of others, and in other diiferent environments.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Hopkinstype diaphragm and its carrier arm, the latter being equipped with the improved stylus holder.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the front end of the carrier arm and attached parts, showing the playing position for Pathe or vertical-cut rec ords.

Fig. 3 kis a view generally similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in position for playing lateral-cut records.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the stylus holder.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 5 indicates in a general manner a diaphragm of the type employedy in the commercial Hopkins machine or Actuelle, and 6 the tubular swinging arm of such machine; the rear end of said arm having mounted on it the spider' 7 to which the diaphragm is attached. The diaphragm has the form of a large cone, is constructed of paper or other suitable relatively-stiff, vibratile material, and is freely exposed on all sides to uncon fined atmospheric air, all as described in the Hopkins patent above identified. The tubular arm 6 is mounted adjacent its rear end in a universal joint in order to permit it to rock` or swing in both vertical and horig zontal planes; the mounting here shown comprising a collar 8 lwhich encircles said arm and is engaged by a pair of bearing pins 9 (only one of which appears) carried by the arms of a vertically-arranged yoke 10 whose stem is rotatably fitted in a bearing sleeve 11 forming part/of a bracket 12 which is fastened to the ycabinet of the machine at some suitable point. The main vibration transmission device 13 extends from the apex of the conical diaphragm through the bore of the tubular carrier arm, and is connected withthe stylus holder 14 by means of the hereinafter-described auxiliary transmission device 15 and associated parts. The device 13 may have any desired` form, but is represented as consisting` of a steel or brass tube of relatively-large diameter and made with very thin walls.

The Acarrier arm 6, as has already been explained, is mounted in such a way as to be devoid of its usual axial rotary adjustment from one of the two playing positions to the other; and instead of being fitted with e the usual front cap to which the stylus holder is directly attached, it is provided at its front end with a short, open-ended sleeve 16, whichis inclined at an angle of about 150 to the axis of arm 6,.and which may be integral with, or otherwise rigidly secured to, said arm. This sleeve 16 carries within it a centrally-located block 17 which is formed with a` slot or recess 13 wherein there is journaled on a cross-pin 19 a bellcrank lever 20; said block being removably fastened in place by a screw 21 or the like and Vbeing capable of withdrawal through the upperrend of the sleeve which is normally closed by a cap 22. One arm of the bell-crank lever 20 is connected to the front end of the transmission rod 13 by means of a metal tip or neck-piece 23, while its other arm is suitably fastened to the upper end of the auxiliary transmission device 15, which latter may likewise be of tubular formation, or may be of any other appropriate character, according as desired.

A t its lower end, the sleeve 16 is formed with a conical bearing seat or opening 24 to receive the Correspondingly-shaped hub 25 of a rotatable cap 26, the circumferential wall of which is knurled, as shown. This cap is provided with an axial bore 27 which extends therethrough and through the conical bearing member or hub 25, and which also extends through an axial neck or projection 28 formed on the inner end of said hub; the bore providing a passageway for the auxiliary transmission device 15. The threaded neck 28 projects through an opening 29 in the bottom wall of the bearing seat 211, and carries at its upper end a nut 30, between which latter and the end wall of the bore of sleeve 16 there are interposed a spring 31 and a washer 32; the arrangement being such that the pressure of the spring (which may be regulated by means of the nut) tends to force the conical hub 25 tightly into its seat, thereby providing a friction joint of suflicient strength to retain the cap in adjusted position.

The stylus holder 14 is adapted to interchangeably receive either the usual sapphiretipped stylus 33 for playing Pathe or other vertical-cut records, or a steel or other needle 34 such as is utilized in playing lateral-cut records; the stylus, in either case, being held in place. in the socket of the holder by a clamping screw 35 or equivalent means. At its upper or inner end, the holder is mounted between a pair of pointed bearing screws 36 carried by cap 26, and is provided at its said end with a lateral projection or arm 37, wherein there is formed a conical bearing opening or seat 38 to receive the enlarged conical lower end 39 of the auxiliary transmission rod 15; the two coacting bearing partsl 38 and 39 being yieldingly held .in frictional, engagement by means of a spring 40 and washer 4:1, the former controlled by an adjusting screw 42 which is set into the conical rod end 39.

Owing to the formation of the yielding friction joints between the holder-carrying cap 26 and the sleeve 16, and between the holder and the auxiliary transmission rod or device 15, it will be apparent that the cap can readily be forced downward to a slight extent to loosen the' joints, and can then be turned in either direction, according as it is desired to play vertical-cut or lateral-cut records; the stylus holder turning bodily with the cap during its rotation, and the springs 31 and l-OV restoring the joints to the necessary tightness at the conclusion of the adjustment. Any suitable means may be provided to limit the rota-ry movements of the cap and thus determine the two playing positions; the one shown comprising a pinand-slot connection, of which the pin element 43 is here represented as fixed to the upper face of cap 26, and the slot element 44 as formed in the confronting end of sleeve 16. The several parts are shown in Fig. 2 as in position for playing verticalcut records, and in Fig. 3 as in position for playing lateral-cut records, as has already been stated; the provision of the lateral arm 37 on the stylus holder and the rotatable mounting of said holder with relation to the auxiliary transmission rod l5 enabling the vibrations to be transmitted always in the same direction-z'. e., axially-to said rod and thence, through the bell-crank lever 20, to the main rod 13, whether the holder oc.- cupies one or the other oit its two positions.

It will be understood from the foregoing that only the manipulation oit the cap is necessary in order to change from either playing position to the other, thereby avoiding the independent or secondary manipulation of the holder itself, which is an incident of the earlier construction, so that the adjusting operation as a whole is appreciably simplified. Furthermore, the carrier arm itself and, hence, the large diaphragm, remain stationary during the adjustment, so that the danger of the diaphragm possibly becoming injured by careless handling at such time is completely avoided.

We claim as our invention:

l. The combination of a non-rotatable arm movable over a record; a diaphragm and a stylus holder mounted on opposite ends of said arms; and vibration transmission means connecting the diaphragm and holder, said holder being' adjustable between playing position for vertical-cut records and playing position for lateral-cut records.

2. The combination of al hollow, non-rotatable arm movable over a record; a dia-- phragm and a stylus holder mounted on op.

posite ends of said arms; and vibrationtransmission means extending through the bore of said arm and connected at opposite ends with the diaphragm and holder, said holder being adjustable between playing position for vertical-cut records and playing position for lateral-cut records.

3. The combination of a carrier arm movable over a record; a diaphragm mounted on one end of said arm; a single stylus holder mounted on the other end of said arm and movable in one direction into playing position for vertical-cut records and in the other direction into playing position for lateralcut records, both suoli movements being independent of and relative to said arm; and vibration transmission means connecting said diaphragm and holder.

4. The combination of a carrier arm movable over a record; a diaphragm mounted on one end of said arm; a singlestylus holder mounted on the other end of said arm and movable bodily in one direction into playing position for vertical-cut records and bodily in the other direction into playing position for lateral-cut records, both such movements being independent of and relative to said arm; and vibration transmission means connecting said diaphragm and holder and comprising main and auxiliary transmission members and a rocking element to which the inner ends of the transmission members are attached.

5. The combination of a carrier arm movable over a record; a diaphragm mounted on one end of said arm; a single stylus holder mounted on the other end ot' said arm and adjustable bodily 'relatively to the same between playing position for vertical-cut records and playing position for lateral-cut records; and vibration transmission means connecting said diaphragm and holder' and comprising main and auxiliary transmission members adapted to be vibrated solely in an axial direction and a bell-crank lever to whose opposite arms the inner ends of the transmission members are attached.

6. The combination of a carrier arm movable over a record; a diaphragm mounted on one end of said arm; a single stylus holder mounted on the other end of said arm and adjustable bodily relatively to the same between playing position for -vertical-cut records and playing position for lateral-out records; and vibration transmission means connecting said diaphragm and holder; said holder having a spring-controlled friction joint connection with said transmission means adapted to yield during the adjustment ot the holder but acting to thereafter maintain said holder in adjusted position.

7. The combination of a carrier arm movable over a record; a diaphragm mounted on one end of said arm; a single stylus holder mounted on the other end of said arm and adjustable bodily relatively to the same between playing position i'or vertical-cut records and playing position for lateral-cut records; and vibration transmission means connecting said diaphragm and holder; said holder having a conical-bearing opening, and said transmission means having a conical end frictionally engaged therein and also having a spring associated with said end to induce such engagement and thereby maintain the holder in adjusted position.

8. The combination, with a non-rotatable arm movable over a record, and a diaphragm carried by said arm; of a cap rotatably mounted on said arm; a. stylus holder carried by said cap to move therewithy between playing position for vertical-cut records and playing position for lateral-cut records; and

a Vibration transmission connection between said holder an-d diaphragm.

9. The combination, with a non-rotatable arm movable over a record, and a diaphragm carried by said arm; of a cap rotatably mounted on said arm for movement between two distinct playingpositions, one for vertical-cnt records and the other for lateral-cutrecords; a stylus holder carried by said cap to move therewith from one of such positions to the other; a vibration transmission con'- ncction between said holder and diaphragm;

and yielding, frictional means for holding the cap in either of its two positions.

l0. The combination, with a non-rotatable arm movable over a record, and a diaphragm arried by said arm; or" a stylus holder rotatably related to said arm for movement between two distinct playing positions, one for vertical-cut records and the other for lateral-cut records; and a vibration transmission. connection carried by said arm and tatably related to said arm for movement beta/een two distinct playing positions, one for vertical-cut records and one Ytor lateralcnt records; and a vibration transmission connection carried by said arm and attached at opposite ends to said diaphragm and holder; said connection comp ising main and auxiliary transmission members dis posed in endwise alinement, and an intermediate rocking member to which the inner ends of the transmission members are joined.

In testimony whereof we have aliiXed our signatures.

FRANK D. LEVIS. GUSTAVE NEMNICH. 

